Industrial Ecology: Towards Closing the Materials Cycle

Provides a quantitative assessment of the desirability of "clean technology" and the range of practicable possibilities for reducing materials extraction, consumption, and waste. The authors examine strategic options, analyze thirteen generic cases of material using an industrial ecology perspective, discuss opportunities for creating "industrial ecosystems" by design, evaluate the use of low-value by-products as feed stocks for useful products, and consider a range of issues including the public interest, institutional barriers, and the range of possible alternatives. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.